Sprinkler head



Patented Oct. 3, 1933 UNITED STATES PATEN'liOFF]C1211;.v

SPRINKLER HEAD Arthur C. Rowley, Drexel Hill, Pal}, assignorto v .Globe Automatic Sprinkler Company, Phila} delphia, Pa., a corporation ofPennsylvania Application September '1, 1932. s rain... 31,427.

' 6" Claims. (0 1. 16938) 7 My invention relates to improvements in automatic sprinkler fire-extinguishing systems, and more particularly relates to improvements in the sprinkler heads constituting important elements of such systems.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a sprinkler head which shall have a relatively high efficiency in its intended function and which shall be further characterized by a relatively great durability.

To this general end, another object of my in: vention isto provide a sprinkler head in which the solder or other fusible agent is rendered substantially free from strain.

A still further object of the invention isto provide in a device of the stated character novel and improved means for supporting the load substantially exclusive of the fusible medium, said means being such as normally to assume a state of substantial equilibrium,,whichstate, however,

is immediately and promptly destroyed upon fusion of the fusible agent.

The invention further resides in certain novel structural features and details hereinafter set forth and illustrated in the attached drawing, in

which:

Figures 1 and 2 are, respectively,

side and front elevations of a sprinikler head made in accord ance with my invention;

Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of an element of the device;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view in perspective of the inner and outer shell elements;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the ball and shell assembly, and

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66, Fig.- 5.

member comprising a tubular portion 2 externally threaded at one end, and having at the.

other end a seat 3 for reception of a closure element 4; This closure element in the present instance is in the form of a disk having a hemispherical protrusion 5, see Fig. 3.

From opposite sides and intermediate the ends of the portion 2 of the sprinkler head arms 6 and 7 extend transversely outwardly and upwardly, and join to form in effect a yoke. At the juncture of the arms 6 and '7 is provided a threaded opening in alignment with the longitudinal axis of the tubular portion 2. This threaded opening is adapted to receive a screw 8 having a head 9 formed in well known manner to constitute a deflector for water, as hereinafter set forth.

. sealing the opening through th'e'portion 20f the terial.

The portion 2 of the body 1 is adapted to be threaded into the distributor pipe of the sprink-; lersystem, and means hereinafter described is provided for holding the cap 4 on its seat, thus sprinkler head. Thecap-holding means-is illus-' trated in Figs. 4 to 6, inclusive. This means com prises a plurality of spheres. 11, which'may, be; made of phosphor-bronzeor other suitablegma In addition, I provide two sets of elements 12 .12and 13', 1 3, which setszof elements are adapted respectively to form cylindrical casings. The'casing formed of the elements 12, '12-isadapted to closely embrace the balls 11 with the latter arrangedv as shown in Fig. 6 in a single row. The members 13, 13 are so proportioned as when assembled inlongitudinal edge-togedge'. relation to form a cylinder closely embracing the cylinder formed by the elements 12, .12. Thisis well shown in, Figs.:-5 'and 6,-,and2it willbe noted that the joints of the inner and outer shells are staggered. In assembly, the interstices between the balls 11 and the inner surface of the embracing cylinders 12, 12 are completely filled with solder or other suitable fastening agent, and this solder also functions to hold together the elements 12, 120i the inner cylinder around the balls. Similarly the elements 13, 13

of the outer cylinder are held together and upon the elements 12 by solder at the meeting edges and on the inner faces thereof. Preferably, the

diameter of the balls 11 is slightly less than the diameter of the cylinder formed by the elements 12, 12. A difference of .006 of an inch between these twodiameters will, for example, be found satisfactory. In this manner, while in assem' bly the balls. are in substantially. perfect alignment and, therefore, in substantial equilibrium, they are sufliciently misaligned to insure immediate separation under conditions hereinafter set forth." e 1 As shown in Figs. '1 and 2, the'ball and cylinder assemblyflis-interposed as a unit between the dome-like top of. thecap 4 and the inner end of the screw 8, the screw being turned down. upon the adjacent ball 11 so that the ball and cylinder assembly is placed under longitudinalcompression. To hold the assembly in position,- the top of the cap 4 and the lowerend of the screw B may. be'slightly recessed or othe wiseformed to prevent displacement of: the balls 11 which they respectively engage. In view of the substantial alignment and consequent state of equilibrium '.of

cylinder shells 12, 12, so that practically none of the pressure is imposed upon the solder or other fusible material which binds the assembly together. Similarly the outer shell is maintained substantially free from pressures tending to separate this outer shell from the inner shell to which it is secured by solder or other fusible composition, as previously set forth. 1

While little force is required to maintain the balls in their substantially longitudinal alignment and stated equilibrium, it will be apparent that in view of the fact that the equilibrium is not complete, separation of the shells from the balls will immediately produce an unbalanced effect which will cause the balls to separate transversely one from the other, thereby releasing the closing pressure upon the cap 4 and permitting the pressure of the water or air within the system 'to throw this cap from the discharge port of theportion 2 of the sprinkler head. The water or other fluidrushing through this port is projected upon the concaved under side of the head 9.which functions to break up the stream and to distribute it more or less uniformly over the surrounding area. The greater the diameter of the inner cylindrical shell over and above the diameter of the balls 11, the less will be'the equilibrium of the assembly, and the greater force, will be applied to the solder or other fusible agent.

I claim: I

1. A pressure-transmitting device for. automatic sprinkler heads comprising a set of spherical elements, a cylindrical casing consisting of a plurality of longitudinal parts and within which said elements are retained in a substantially aligned series, a second cylindrical casing also consisting of a plurality of longitudinal parts and closely embracing the casing first named, and a fusible composition binding said elements and casing parts into a unitary member.

2. In a temperature responsive device, a strut comprising a plurality of elements arranged in a row to form an inherently unstable series, an inner casing for said series comprising separable rigid members united by a fusible solder, and an outer casing embracing said inner casing and also comprisingseparable rigid members united by a fusible solder. 1

3. In a temperature responsive device, a strut comprising a plurality of elements arranged in 'a row to form an inherently unstable series, an

inner casing for said series comprising separable rigid members united by a fusible solder, and an outer casing embracing said inner casing and also comprising separable rigid members united by a fusible solder, the soldered joints of said inner and outer casings being relatively staggered.

4. In a temperature responsive device, a strut comprising a plurality of elements arranged in a row to form an inherently unstable series, a casing for said series comprising separable rigid members united by a fusible solder, and a fusible compound inthe interstices between the elements of said series and the casing and immobilizing the said elements in the casing...

5. In a temperature responsive device, a strut comprising a plurality. of spheres arranged. in a row to forman inherently unstable series, and a double-walled casing for said series, each wall comprising separable rigid members united by a fusible solder. a

6. In a temperature responsive device, a strut comprising a plurality of spherical elements arranged in a row to form an inherently unstable series, a longitudinally split cylindrical casing the component members of which areunited by a fusible solder, and a fusible composition substantially filling the interstices between the said spheres and the walls of the casing.

ARTHUR C. ROWLEY. 

